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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23151841">Foundation</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/timehopper/pseuds/timehopper'>timehopper</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Couch Cuddles, Domestic Fluff, Fluff, M/M, Reading Aloud, Story within a Story, The cat's name is Loog, they have a cat!</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-03-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 11:06:14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,264</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23151841</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/timehopper/pseuds/timehopper</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Ashe, Caspar, and their cat, Loog, enjoy some time together after coming home from an adventure.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Caspar von Bergliez/Ashe Duran | Ashe Ubert</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>47</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Foundation</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Just in time for <a>Ashe Week 2020</a>! This is the free day, so I decided to combine the prompts for Cats, Books, and Family. I just... love the idea of Caspar, Ashe, and their cat being a happy family &lt;3 </p><p>Thank you sparrow for the title!!!</p><p>There are now Author's Notes available on patreon for this fic! Please check my twitter linked in the end notes to find a pinned patreon access link.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>This is Ashe’s favourite time of day. </p><p>Evening, just as the twilight fades and the moon peeks out from behind the clouds, unseen from inside the small house as he curls up under a blanket, a book in his lap and a still-hot cup of tea on the table. Next to that sits a plate of sweet buns that Caspar happily plucks a treat from before stuffing it into his mouth, gathering the cat in his arms, and sitting down on the couch next to his husband. </p><p>“Whuh’r ‘e r’nnfnn d’dey?” he asks, dropping Loog between the two of them and pulling his feet under himself. Ashe can’t help but laugh, a hand coming up to his mouth to try and hide it, though he knows there’s little point. </p><p>“I thought we could continue with the Cycle of Kyphon,” he says. Caspar makes a sound around his mouthful of sweet bun, and Ashe shakes his head fondly. </p><p>“Slow down, Caspar,” he says. “We don’t want you choking.” </p><p>A loud swallow and a quick gasp of satisfaction. “Yeah, yeah, I know. Poor little Loog’d be devastated.” He grins down at the cat, who yawns in his face as if unamused. Except for a little scritch behind the ears, Caspar pays Loog’s rudeness no mind, and instead turns his attention to Ashe. “Where did we leave off again? Kyphon just took a hit for the king, and…”</p><p>“And that was the last we heard of him. This next story is about his recovery, and - oh, it’s one of my favourite parts! Here we really get to see how deep the bond between the king and his shield truly is, and how it runs both ways--” </p><p>“Ah! Spoilers!” Caspar claps his hands over his ears, and despite the loud exclamation, grins. Ashe feels his face flush; he knows he can get carried away in his excitement for these stories, but he appreciates that Caspar seems to take so much joy from his passion for them. If anything, the chiding is a joke between them: gentle encouragement to start the story rather than summarize it and possibly go on for hours pointing out all the most exciting parts (all of them) and all the symbolism and care put into choosing the words.</p><p>Ashe laughs. “You’re right. Sorry.” There’s little apology in his voice, however, and Caspar gives him a look that says he notices as much. “I just get so excited!” </p><p>“I know.” Caspar shifts and leans over to peck his cheek. “And you know <em>I </em>don’t mind! But you know how Loog gets when he knows how the story is going to end…” </p><p>“Oh, yes. Of course.” Ashe nods sagely as he strokes beneath Loog’s chin with his index finger. “We really do spoil him, don’t we?” </p><p>And it’s true. In every sense of the word, they do; Loog is a patient cat, well-behaved most of the time, especially considering the amount of travel the three of them do. He helps them hunt when they’re days away from the next town, he keeps them company and comforts them with his little meows; and in return, they buy him the highest-quality fish that they can afford and shower him with affection and cuddles. Even when they walk, the cat likes to nuzzle into Ashe’s face as it sits in his hood, or bat its paws at Caspar’s hair as it rests between the gaps in his armor. And every time, without fail, they give little Loog all the petting and ear-scratches he wants. It’s nice, what they have, the three of them - it works. But it’s times like these, returning home after a long adventure, that he really feels like they’re a true family.</p><p>He smiles fondly at Caspar’s expectant look, permitting himself one last moment of admiration, and turns his attention to the page. </p><p><em>“‘The vast, echoing halls of the keep had never seemed so cold, so empty, so devoid of any sort of warmth. All was dark tonight but for the faint, flickering light of the candle held aloft by the King of Lions as he walked the drafty halls, for once not as if stalking prey on the battlefield, but moving quietly, with gentle footsteps, in search of a friend…’”</em> </p><p>“Kyphon,” Caspar whispers under his breath, quite possibly for the benefit of the cat that has curled up in his lap. What had he said before, about spoilers?</p><p>Ashe pays it no mind. Caspar is already so invested, even after a mere two sentences, and so he simply smiles and continues to read, not wanting to disappoint his husband.</p><p>
  <em>“The door stood before the king, and Loog reached out, nearly hesitant to twist the handle. What right had he to face his lifelong friend, to look Kyphon in the eye, after he had taken such a dire blow to save his king? What could he say - what sort of apology would be most suitable? Brave in all other aspects of life, matters such as these, alone, were what gave Loog pause. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“But he was not the sort to run, even from matters of the heart; and so, Loog pulled open the door and entered the room.’” </em>
</p><p>He feels Caspar fidget next to him, and Ashe takes this opportunity to reach for his tea. It’s warm, now, not hot - just the perfect temperature for a nice, long sip. It’s sweet, but not overly-so: Caspar has finally mastered making tea the way Ashe likes, with the perfect amount of sugar.</p><p>“What next?” he asks eagerly, as Ashe sets the teacup back down. And Ashe laughs, amused by his husband’s impatience rather than put off by it. </p><p>“I’m getting to it,” Ashe says, a playful chide in his tone. “Patience, love.”</p><p>He clears his throat, and then, resuming the tone of experienced storyteller: <em>“There, laid out in bed, sheets pulled down to his waist to air out the bandages on his chest, laid Kyphon, eyes shut against the darkness of the night. Asleep, perhaps, but curiosity gets the better of the king, and he crept, silent as the shadows in the corners of the room, to Kyphon’s bedside.</em></p><p>
  <em>“‘Oh…’ </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“The lament fell from the king’s lips unbidden, before he knew to exercise restraint. The bandages, though freshly changed, did nothing to hide the dark, wretched blotches peeking out from beneath them, like mud staining a discarded bridal veil. The blood had long since been cleaned from Kyphon’s chest, but the bruises; oh, the bruises…</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“‘Don’t tell me you’re worried.’ </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Kyphon’s voice, low and gravelly, so unlike his usual easy manner, stirred something deep within the king. He set aside the candle and reached, with both hands, for Kyphon, willing them not to shake. But even so, his voice quivered as he breathed the words that had plagued his mind, playing over and over again as if the king were caught in a neverending echo.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“‘My friend…'</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“‘If you tell me I am a fool for what I’ve done - for saving your life, you bloody oaf - then I might just perish yet.’”</em>
</p><p>Caspar laughs. Kyphon’s less formal speech had amused him in the last tale, too. Ashe smiles, fond, and continues: <em>“The mighty king could say nothing to this, and so he looked to their joined hands, Kyphon’s limp fingers in his own strong, steady ones - no longer trembling, now that he knew his friend’s manner had not been impacted by the blow.</em></p><p>
  <em>“‘Do not speak of such things,’ he whispered. Had anyone else heard him speak in such frightened, hushed tones, they may have called this a dream, for none but Kyphon had ever seen the king in such a state.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“‘My friend, it comes for us all.’” </em>
</p><p>Ashe looks up, to check for a reaction. Caspar is not looking at him, eyes instead directed toward the loose thread he’s picking at and misted over, as if he’s lost in thought. It makes Ashe smile, despite the fact that it looks, for all intents and purposes, as if Caspar isn’t paying attention. But Ashe knows his husband, knows his hands often need to be occupied for the story to sink in. But he also knows that picking at that loose thread will lead to the entire blanket unravelling in their laps, and so he reaches to fetch a sweet bun and hand it to Caspar. </p><p>Caspar looks up, alerted by the movement, and his face breaks open in a wide, adoring smile. “Thanks!”</p><p>The thread is abandoned in favour of food, and Ashe nods. “Of course. Now, where was I…”</p><p>“Death comes for us all.” </p><p>“Right! Thank you, Caspar.</p><p>
  <em>“‘My friend, it comes for us all.’ Kyphon’s voice was even, unafraid. Neither knight nor liege feared death, and both men knew it as surely as they knew the blood that ran through their veins. And yet…</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"‘That does not mean you have to hasten it.’ </em>
  
</p><p>
  <em>"'Nor does it mean I should fear it!' Kyphon's voice echoed in the small room, louder than even the King of Lions had expected. It seemed as though Kyphon's wound, deep and broad enough to kill a lesser man, truly had not put a single scratch on his fighting spirit; and that, more than anything, soothed the mighty king's worry."</em>
</p><p>Ashe pauses to look up at Caspar, eyes closed and smiling into the air as he scratches the spot between Loog's shoulders. And somehow, it gives him pause, makes him stop to think. Though Ashe can hardly consider himself a king, he can see Kyphon's loyalty to Loog in the way Caspar recklessly throws himself into danger to protect his husband. His stalwart defiance, his passion, his need to protect those dear to him… all things valued in knights, but so real - so <em>tangible</em> - in Caspar.</p><p>And, well - it doesn’t hurt that he’s handsome, too.</p><p>Ashe passes him another bun off the plate - one of only two left. He places it on Caspar's shoulder, earning a tiny laugh before his husband snatches it and shoves the first bite into his mouth. And Ashe, too, has to stifle a laugh - the scene before him too comical not to, with Caspar's face and left shoulder speckled with powdered sugar, his cheeks stuffed full of pastry, and his eyes squeezed shut in contentment. He looks like a cat himself, really, until he swallows and cracks an eye open to turn his gaze to Ashe. </p><p>"Hm? Ashe, what's wrong? Why'd you stop?" </p><p>"No reason," Ashe says. But really, he has every reason. Why wouldn't he want to take a moment to admire his husband? To think about how lucky he is to be here right now, after surviving loss and war and hardship after hardship, with the man he'd fallen in love with all those many years ago? </p><p>Caspar shrugs, oblivious to Ashe's thoughts - or perhaps knowing them so well he doesn't feel the need to say anything. He licks his lips, catching most of the powdered sugar still on them, but - </p><p>"Missed a spot." Ashe leans over to press a kiss to the corner of Caspar's mouth. He can feel Caspar smile against him, and it makes Ashe’s heart flutter in a way that suddenly makes Kyphon’s story seem insignificant - and even more so when Caspar turns his head to capture Ashe’s lips in a proper kiss, gentle and slow and soft.</p><p>Ashe closes the book on his lap. The muted, muffled noise of thick, worn pages coming together makes Caspar pull away, just the slightest bit, and he gazes down at the closed book. “Aw, done already?”</p><p>“Mhm.” Ashe sneaks one last peck in before pulling back and setting the book aside. “It’s starting to get late, and we’ve been away from home for so long. Poor Loog is exhausted.” And sure enough, when Ashe inclines his head toward the cat, they find him asleep in Caspar’s lap. As if sympathetic to the poor, tired cat, Ashe feels his eyelids grow heavier, too. “I’d like to get some sleep myself.” </p><p>“Aww, but...” Caspar pouts - or tries to, at least, but the expression shatters the same second he tries to form it. His mouth hangs open in a wide, loud yawn, and he stretches his arms out, up above his head, enough to pull his shirt up and expose a small strip of skin above the blanket. </p><p>“I guess I have missed our bed,” he says, a little bit sheepishly. When he opens his eyes, his smile matches his tone, and Ashe feels himself falling in love all over again.</p><p>Overwhelmed with the depth of that feeling washing over him, he can do nothing but try to channel it by reaching over and carding his hands through Caspar’s hair. But even that doesn’t seem enough, at the moment. He wishes he could express, in words or in touch or in any sort of gesture at all, just how much he loves this man. But nothing, he fears, will ever manage to completely encompass the true extent of that feeling.</p><p>So he does all he can think to do: offer a reassurance, a vow that what they have - their family - will never go away.</p><p>“We can continue in the morning, love,” Ashe tells him. “Kyphon isn’t going anywhere. And neither am I.” </p><p>Caspar takes his hand. “Promise?”</p><p>Ashe nods. He turns his hand in Caspar’s grip and laces their fingers together, the silver bands of their wedding rings clicking against one another. Ashe squeezes his husband’s hand. “I promise.” </p><p>And that’s all they need. Each other, and the promise that this is how things always will be.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>If you enjoyed this and think you might like to see more, have a chat, or would like to get to know me, please check out my twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/tim3hopp3r">@tim3hopp3r</a>.</p><p>And if you would like to find out how to support me, I have a handy list of links right <a href="https://twitter.com/tim3hopp3r/status/1355219789560471554">here</a>. Please check it out! I wouldn't be able to do this without people like you supporting me. ♥</p><p>Thank you so much for reading!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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